I am new to this board, but not new to Melanoma. I had my first run in with this monster back in July 2005. A mole on my left buttock/thigh area. Had since very little. Grew somewhat bigger and darkend to almost black. The derm. took one look at it and said it was melanoma and scheduled me for surgery before getting the lab work back. Did a very wide excision even though the spot was really small. There was less than a 5% chance it would ever reoccur. Nothing more than some blood work. Went back in like clock work for the next 2 1/2 years. Plenty of other spots removed and tested or nitro'd off. Went for a check-up in Feb 08 and even did more blood work, lymph nodes and everything was fine. March 24th 08, woke up while on Spring break with my kids and I had a swollen lymph node in my groin area the same side as the primary site. Within hours of finding this myself, I had already been in surgery to have it removed. My life has been turned upside since then, as you all know that experience all to well. NEVER thought I would be "stage3". Single mother of two, currently on FMLA. Will run out of sick leave in a few weeks. I guess I will be a non-pay status. How are we suppose to fight a disease like this when you can't miss work? Just so much to take all at once. My PET scan did come back with more lit up in the groin area and something in the lower right lung. They are pretty confident it is only scar tissue. To small at this point and it did not light up in the PET. I don't like their approach of "wait and see" what this spot does. In the meantime I am scheduled for a large lymph node sugery in two weeks, then will discuss more treatment options. They are pretty sure there is more lymphs involved. Looking into Interferon at this point, seems there aren't a whole lot options available. Been trying to study up on trials but it all just gets so confusing. I will not look in to anything that is not at a Phase 3 trial. I've been told they have the best chance, if any to offer hope. I was also told that I was in a category of less than 5% to have had this come back in a lymph node. I guess the first primary was so small I should have never had another bout with this monster. On that note maybe I can be the rare one to find hope. Just as we all might be that lucky one. Want to get the point across if you have been so lucky to catch it early on only the outer layer of the skin, always stay on your app. insist on blood work yearly and exam your lymph nodes. I would also insist on a SNB after the wide excision. Could it have caught this sooner, I'll never know. I am just ready to move forward wih any treatments I can get, and hope this doesn't come back for along time. It will come back, Melanoma always does. My prayers and luck are to each and everyone of you. I truly hope we find more options out there so that we have more hope to kill this horrible monster.